4 2o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



ready in the Britim Mufeum ; one of them, the largeft of the 

 whole, is made of fycamore, the others are of metal. There 

 is another, I am told, in Lord Shelburn's collection; this I 

 never had an opportunity of feeing ; but a very principal 

 attention feems to have been paid to make all of them 

 light and portable, and it would feem that by thefe having 

 been formed fo exactly fimilar, they were the Tots intend- 

 ed to be expofed in different cities or places, and were neither 

 more nor lefs than Egyptian almanacks. 



Whether letters were known to Noah before the flood, 

 is no where faid from any authority, and the inquiry into 

 it is therefore ufelefs. It is difficult, in my opinion, to ima- 

 gine, that any fociety, engaged in different occupations, could 

 fubfift long without them. There feems to be lefs doubt, 

 that they were invented, foon after the difperfion, long be- 

 fore Mofes, and in common ufe among the Gentiles of his 

 time. 



It feems alfo probable, that the firft alphabet was Ethio- 

 pic, firft founded on hieroglyphics, and afterwards model- 

 led into more current, and lefs laborious figures, for the 

 fake of applying them to the expedition of bufinefs. Mr 

 Fourmont is fo much of this opinion, that he fays it is evi- 

 dent the three firft letters of the Ethiopic alphabet are hiero- 

 glyphics yet, and that the Beta refembles the door of a 

 houfe or temple. But, with great fubmiflion, the doors of 

 houfes and temples, when firft built, were fquare at the top, 

 for arches were not known. The Beta was taken from the 

 doors of the firll Troglodytes in the mountains, which were 

 rounded, and gave the hint for turning the arch, when 

 architecture advanced nearer to perfe&ion. 



Others 



